1) Tell us about yourself.  How did you get into belly dancing? What does belly dancing mean to you and what does it do for you?

My name is Suspira, and I’ve been in the Orlando area since about 1995.  I’ve always loved dance, and  started studying aet age 5, and teaching at age 15.  Although most of my training was classical, I was exposed to many kinds of dance, and really felt pulled toward the ethnic dances.  I continued on as a dance major in college, and decided shortly after that bellydance was undeniably my favorite….and I couldn’t resist making it my life’s work.  The dance is just so beautiful and emotional, and I absolutely love that it embraces women of all walks of life.  Just the fact that its survived and thrived all these years shows its vitality and relevance.  I moved to Orlando to audition for Disney, and was thrilled to be offered a full-time contract as a bellydancer in the Moroccan Pavilion of Epcot Center (especially because they had never offered one to an American before, all the other full-time dancers had been from Morocco).  I spent most of my performance career dancing in the restaurant there – I danced 5-7 days a week, doing 7 shows daily.  That’s a lot of bellydance!  I loved every minute of it, but as the years ticked by, I was really anxious to share the artform with other women and had dreams of having a bellydance performance company that was as skilled and elegant as the ballet companies I had been a part of.  In 2002, I began “Orlando Bellydance”, trying to teach around my performance schedule, and in 2006, I finally left Disney to open a full-time studio and dedicate myself to my students.  It has been the most rewarding decision I’ve ever made.

2) What is your impression of students who come in for the first time to your class? What are they coming to learn from you? Are they looking to merely learn a new dance form or to become more confident?

Interestingly, we don’t have a “typical” type of student.  We have some that have seen performances, and are looking to become professional themselves to people who are just looking to improve their self-esteem and lose some weight.  But its really fun to watch those who really had no exposure to this art form before and think it will be like going to the gym  – within weeks, they are transforming into confident goddesses!  Their earrings get bigger, their clothes get louder, and suddenly they aren’t so shy about their stretchmarks.  It’s truly awesome.

3) What can you offer to students who have never taken a class in belly dance before, but are inspired to become professional?

I love a student that is motivated enough to want to become professional.  If they are willing to work hard enough to achieve that goal, I am willing to work hard enough to help them get there.  We offer weekly classes for students who specifically are professional dancers, or near-professional dancers.  We try to keep them growing and help them improve their craft and explore different aspects of Middle Eastern Dance.  I try to be as candid and honest with them about what it takes to be professional, and we also cover the ethics and logistics of it all.

4) Do you have troupes in your studio who perform at events, on behalf of your studio?  What does it take to join your troupe?

Because our studio is so large (we have about 700 active students), we’ve just been blessed with so much talent!  We started with one dance company, but now its grown to four with different themes – “Orlando Dance Theatre” (theatrical bellydance fused with world dance), “The Ahlaam Dancers” (classical bellydance), Serpentina Dance Company (gothic and experimental dance), and “Gypsy Sa’har” (folkloric and ethnic style).  Each troupe hold about 10 dancers.  To be a part of a troupe, you must be a master-level dancer, and come to our semi-annual auditions.  Dancers perform a solo and sometimes also are asked to learn a movement combination.  Dancers selected are in the troupe for 6 months, and then re-audition the next season.  This keeps the groups from getting stale, and allows us to add new talent as it arrives.  The troupes perform extensively, which is the motivation for most of them to want to join.  We also offer many performance opportunities to our non-troupe members, as often they like to showcase their skill as well, or want to perform as a means of self-expression.  We put on two huge shows a year called “An Evening Unveiled”, and then do haflas in between.  In the summer, we do another big theatrical show, but this time only with the troupe members.  This summer’s show will be called “Hiplash”.



5) On a personal note, can you share with us an experience at your dance studio that reminded you of your passion for dancing?  Was there a humbling experience where you saw a student overcome her own fears?

Literally *every day* I am reminded of my passion for this artform.  I’ve had students overcome everything from physical and mental abuse, to cancer, to the loss of a child or husband through this artform.    The stories of the students are so inspiring, that I started writing a book about how this beautiful artform transforms women.  In a culture that teaches us we need to be a Barbie Doll to be beautiful, it is so liberating to find something that teaches us that we are valuable and stunning just how God made us.  We don’t need to be fit into the cookie cutter.  For most women, just that realisation is life-changing.  It’s an honor to be a part of that, and just an absolute joy to watch the transformation.

To learn more about Suspira, or to start learning how to Belly Dance like the stunning Diva, visit her website: http://orlandobellydance.com/